1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a socket terminal.
2. Description of the Related Art
A known socket terminal is shown in FIG. 21 and is described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2010-113962. This known socket terminal is to be accommodated in a cavity formed in a housing made of resin. With reference to FIG. 21, the socket terminal 1 includes a tubular portion 3 into which a mating pin terminal 2 is to be inserted, and the tubular portion 3 includes an annular base portion 4 and a plurality of terminal pieces 5 extending from the base portion 3 toward the mating pin terminal 2. Tip sides of the terminal pieces 5 are slightly narrowed, the pin terminal 2 is inserted into the tubular portion 3 while resiliently deforming the terminal pieces 5 to expand the terminal pieces 5 and electrical connection is established at a contact point of the pin terminal 2 and the socket terminal
In the conventional socket terminal 1 described above, the pin terminal 2 and the socket terminal 1 are resiliently in contact with each other on the same plane (Y-plane of FIG. 21) in an axial direction of the tubular portion 3 (pin terminal 2) and are electrically conductively connected. Thus, if an external force is radially applied to the pin terminal 2 due to vibration or the like, a center axis of the pin terminal 2 is inclined with respect to that of the tubular portion 3, with the result that the contact point of the pin terminal 2 and the socket terminal 1 may move to change contact resistance.
The present invention was completed based on the above situation and aims to provide a socket terminal capable of stably holding a pin terminal.